As the NHL regular season ended Sunday, the rumor mill and speculation began to churn. Here are six key questions asked and answered before the smoke clears:

1. What's wrong with the St. Louis Blues?

The Blues are entering the playoffs on a down note. They have lost six in a row and seven of their last nine.

Injuries have overrun this team, and goalie Ryan Miller has not distinguished himself since coming over from the Buffalo Sabres. He has not been bad but has not been exceptional, either. He has been pedestrian. The Blues have given up 22 goals during their losing streak and haven't looked like a Stanley Cup favorite.

Most will be back for the playoffs, but this team clearly is out of sync. They seem to have lost confidence in their scoring ability, with five goals during their slide.

They no longer are the team to beat in the Western Conference. The Western bracket now seems more wide open.

2. Who pays the price for failure in Washington?

Owner Ted Leonsis could clean house. General manager George McPhee, whose contract is up, and coach Adam Oates both might be removed. Plus, Leonsis has to at least ponder if Alex Ovechkin is still viewed as the solution or a significant part of the problem.

He scored 51 goals this season, but he has yet to prove he can make players around him better. He was minus 35 this season on the second-highest-scoring team in the Eastern Conference.

He will be 29 when next season starts, and he isn't showing any signs of becoming the complete player the Capitals need him to be. No Washington coach has been able to change him. It sends a bad message to the team if the top player isn't playing a style that's in the team's best interest.

Do you give a new man a chance to persuade Ovechkin to change or do you talk to your star about moving elsewhere? Ovechkin is a dynamic player and personality. He puts fans in seats. The decision would not be easy to make.

3. Will John Tortorella survive in Vancouver?

It's hard to believe Tortorella will continue in his job after he contributed to the Canucks' season of turmoil.

He was suspended in January for angrily trying to get in the Calgary Flames dressing room. He backed his team into a corner by failing to play goalie Roberto Luongo in the Heritage Classic.

More important, he took over a playoff team and guided it out of the playoffs. The exit interviews with players probably won't go well for him. If he is fired, he has only himself to blame.

One reason for keeping him is he has four years left on a deal that pays $2 million a season. The Canucks are on the hook for four years of salary for recently fired general manager Mike Gillis.

4. What will be the fate of Randy Carlyle in Toronto?

He likely will be fired, because the Maple Leafs' late-season collapse cost them a playoff spot.

The Maple Leafs were a poor defensive team, giving up more than 36 shots a game. Their penalty killing was weak. Improving a team's defensive play is supposed to be the easiest fix. It never happened in Toronto.

Don't forget, too, that Carlyle is a holdover from the Brian Burke regime.

Carlyle would have a right to say he didn't have the right personnel, but GM Dave Nonis might address that as well. The Maple Leafs seem poised to make major moves this summer. Nazem Kadri could be the centerpiece of a deal to change this team's look.

Brendan Shanahan will be introduced as the team's president today. He knows league personnel extremely well. He becomes a major voice in the organization.

5. Will the Predators change a GM or coach for the first time in franchise history?

GM David Poile is too respected to lose his job. He has one season left on his contract, and he's 65.

Coach Barry Trotz's situation is a more difficult read. He leads coaches in seniority, and his teams are well-prepared and competitive. He didn't suddenly forget how to coach.

But the Predators seem stale, and ownership might be looking for Poile to inject a new wave of enthusiasm into the organization. Change can energize a marketplace. Trotz seems vulnerable for the first time.

If he is fired, he won't be out of work long. He will be sought after, much like Lindy Ruff after he was fired by the Sabres. His defensive expertise would make Trotz a perfect fit if the Capitals make a coaching change.

6. What's Marty Brodeur's future in the NHL?

He still seems to wants to play, but it probably won't be with the New Jersey Devils. They have to give Cory Schneider a chance to play 55 to 60 games.

There's room for Brodeur to be a 25- to 30-game backup somewhere in the NHL.